How do you remove earwax? and what is it?

Answer 1

Earwax, also known by the medical term cerumen, is a yellowish, waxy substance secreted in the ear canal of humans and many other mammals. It plays an important role in the human ear canal, assisting in cleaning and lubrication, and also provides some protection from bacteria, fungus, and insects. A comprehensive review of the physiology and pathophysiology of cerumen can be found in Roeser and Ballachanda.[1] Excess or impacted cerumen can press against the eardrum and/or occlude the external auditory canal and impair hearing.

Cleaning
Cleaning of the ear canal occurs as a result of the "conveyor belt" process of epithelial migration, aided by jaw movement.[6] Cells formed in the centre of the tympanic membrane migrate outwards from the umbo (at a rate equivalent to that of fingernail growth) to the walls of the ear canal, and accelerate towards the entrance of the ear canal. The cerumen in the canal is also carried outwards, taking with it any dirt, dust, and particulate matter that may have gathered in the canal. Jaw movement assists this process by dislodging debris attached to the walls of the ear canal, increasing the likelihood of its extrusion.

Lubrication
Lubrication prevents desiccation and itching of the skin within the ear canal (known as asteatosis). The lubricative properties arise from the high lipid content of the sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. In wet-type cerumen at least, these lipids include cholesterol, squalene, and many long-chain fatty acids and alcohols

Antibacterial and antifungal roles
While studies conducted up until the 1960s found little evidence supporting an antibacterial role for cerumen,[9] more recent studies have found that cerumen has a bactericidal effect on some strains of bacteria. Cerumen has been found to be effective in reducing the viability of a wide range of bacteria (sometimes by up to 99%), including Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and many variants of Escherichia coli.The growth of two fungi commonly present in otomycosis was also significantly inhibited by human cerumen.These antimicrobial properties are due principally to the presence of saturated fatty acids, lysozyme and, especially, to the relatively low pH of cerumen (typically around 6.1 in normal individua

Removal
Excessive cerumen may impede the passage of sound in the ear canal, causing conductive hearing loss. It is also estimated to be the cause of 60 - 80% of hearing aid repairs. As mentioned above, movement of the jaw helps the ears' natural cleaning process, so chewing gum and talking can both help. If this is insufficient, the most common method of cerumen removal by general practitioners is syringing (used by 95% of GPs. A curette method is more likely to be used by otologists and ENTs when the ear canal is partially occluded and the material is not adhering to the skin of the ear canal.

Answer 2

You can get an earwax removal kit that dissolves the wax and then flush the ear out with warm water.
You can also use hydrogen peroxide followed with a warm water rinse.
DO NOT INSERT cotton swabs or other such objects into the ear canal,you can push the wax farther down into the ear,which will then require a trip to the doctors office or damage the ear drum.

Answer 3

If it is really bothering you then you can use warm olive oil to loosen it up so it comes out naturaly ( this is the best way ) put in a few drops and then gently put some cotton wool in your ear but do not push the cotton wool too far in.

If this dosent work you can buy ear waxs drops from the chemist which does the same job.

If it gets really bad then you need to see your doctor and they may advise that you have your ear syringed but this is a last resort.

If it is not bad it is best to leave it alone.

Answer 4

Earwax is sweat that protects the ear. Use mineral oil to loosen the wax.

Answer 5

It should not be removed unless its causing a problem and then only an exert should do it. The medical rule of thumb is never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear!
Its the protection system for the ear canal and ear drum;

Answer 6

some people do candling , which actually involves sticking tapered candles in their ears and lighting them ( the candles that is and not their ears) ... the people who do this believe that the gunk in your ears is drawn out by the vaccum created by the burning candle ..

Others use cotton buds ..

BUT you really should becareful when cleaning your ears .. if you push anything into your ears you are risking damaging your ear drum

Some GP's will flush the ear with warm water and i have heard warm Olive oil also being used ...

but here is some PROFFESSIONAL ADVICE:

What is ear wax?
The skin on the outer part of the ear canal has special glands that produce ear wax, also known as cerumen. The purpose of this natural wax is to protect the ear from damage and infections. Usually a small amount of wax accumulates and then dries up and falls out of the ear canal, carrying with it unwanted dust or sand particles. Ear wax is helpful in normal amounts and serves to coat the skin of the ear canal where it acts as a temporary water repellent. The absence of ear wax may result in dry, itchy ears, and even infection. Cerumen may vary in form and appearance. It may be almost liquid, or firm and solid. The color of ear wax can also vary depending upon its composition. Glandular secretions, sloughed skin cells, normal bacteria present on the surface of the canal, and water may all be present in ear wax.
(from http://www.medicinenet.com/ear_wax/article.htm )

take your time to browse that link .. was very interesting :)


EDIT: when i was growing up my mother told me NEVET to stick anything in my ear that was smaller than my elbow or larger than an elephants trunk LOL :)

Answer 7

Use olive oil to soften the wax for a week or so & then book an appointment with your GP to have you ears syringed! Never use cotton buds because it forces wax down on to the eardrum which can cause infections, etc. This can be very painfull. Hope it goes well!

Answer 8

It's protection for your ear drum. You only remove excess wax that comes further up your ear lobe. Don't go prodding cotton buds in your ear or you have have a much more serious problem to contend with. It's there for a reason.

Answer 9

Visit your GP and get the nurse to do it for you. I had mine done when I went for an army medical over fifty years ago. They used a syringe big enough to blow up car tyres, it was amazing how much I could hear after that, but I wouldn't recommend it.It is there to protect the ear canal from incoming dirt and insects.

Answer 10

I go to a local doctor and he rinses my ears out with water, earwax is gunk.